Bolshoi Theater throws open its doors

Russia’s famed Bolshoi Theater has come back to life, raising the curtain on its historical stage after a six-year long restoration tonight at 7pm, Friday, Oct. 28.

The gala is to become a festival of Russian music, which will resound in the restored gold and red colored Main Hall.

International opera stars Angela Gheorghiu and Natalie Dessay have been named among those who will make their appearance in the concert staged by Dmintry Chernyakov.

The program of the opening gala has been kept secret. One of few details revealed to the public was that the concert will feature both ballet and opera pieces.

The jewels of Bolshoi’s repertoire – scenes from ballets staged by Russian great ballet masters Yury Grigorovich, Alexei Ratmansky, Pierre Lacotte – will be performed in front of the audience, according to the theater’s official press-release.

And more than two centuries of the theater’s history have become the main theme for the opening, directed by Chernyakov, best known for his controversial staging of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in 2006 at the Bolshoi.

Sadly for Moscow-based music-lovers, no tickets to the opening were sold to mere mortals, and attendance of the event will be by invitation only.

But unless you have some strong connections with the Presidential Administration, which was said to be in charge of the guest list, the only thing you can hope for is a live broadcast in 600 cinemas, on several Russian and international TV channels and Youtube, as well as on screens outside the theater.

And since getting tickets to the rest of the season is also nearly impossible – all shows have been sold out, according to Bolshoi’s official website